General News of Tuesday, 16 January 2018
Source: ghananewsagency.org
2018-01-16
The three finalists of the competition
Mr Jason Emmanuel Kuuku Asante Ghansah, a form two student of Presbyterian Boy’s Senior High School, Legon, in the Greater Accra Region, emerged winner of this year’s UBA Foundation National Essay Competition.
Mame Ekua Anokyewaah Antwi Appiah from Wesley Girls’ Senior High School in the Central Region was the first runner up while Miss Yasmeen Kwaley Quartey, also from Wesley Girls’ Senior High School placed third.
Mr Ghansah was presented with a trophy and an amount of $5,000 educational grant to further his tertiary education while Miss Appiah received a plaque and $3,500 with Miss Quartey also receiving a plaque and an amount of $2,000.
The three winners were selected from 12 finalists out of thousands of applications from second cycle schools, after going through competitive selection procedures.
Each of the 12 participants was given a UBA branded HP Laptop and a certificate.
The students wrote on the topic: “Galamsey or illegal Mining has been a menace to the Ghanaian society causing ill effects, as a student, what ways or methods do you suggest can curb this societal problem?’.
Speaking at the ceremony in Accra, Mrs Abiola Bawuah, the Managing Director of UBA Ghana, said the Bank in October 2017, launched the Fourth edition of the competition for Senior High School students, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
She said the competition, which was launched in 2014, provided a competitive platform to develop the intellectual and writing abilities of Senior High Schools students in Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal.
Mrs Bawuah said the competition had so far produced nine winners, some of whom are studying in various universities in the country.
She congratulated all 12 finalists for competing in the programme, adding that, the Bank was committed to the development of the country’s education because the future of Africa was in the hands of the youth.
Mrs Bawuah called on the media to duly publicize the initiative to ensure that students in the country get the opportunity to be part of the competition.
Mrs Angela Tena Mensah, Director in charge of Secondary Education, Ghana Education Service, commended UBA Ghana for initiating the competition to exhibit the talents of the youth.
She said the topic for the competition was timely because it contributed to ideas in solving the menace of illegal mining activities that confronted the nation.
Dr Jemima Anderson, one of the Judges of the Competition and the Head of English Department, University of Ghana, Legon, said the selection procedures were challenging but genuine.
She said there were equally good applicants for the competition but they had to select only 12, adding that “the scripts were marked religiously” since every script went through plagiarism and checked language expression, originality of content, grammar and organization.